Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Low Goodness of Kurt Vile

It may not be a name that jumps right at you but KURT VILE is an artist to take seriously. Prepping for his second full length release, "Smoke Ring For My Halo", Vile makes the kind of introspective catchy rock that reminds me of PETE YORN mixed with the more folky moments of TOM PETTY. You can almost hear the pops and crackles from a vinyl record permeate through his music.

The two teaser tracks released reinforce his love of obscure lyrics and simple, straightforward song structures. "Jesus Forever" has a catchy melody (even if it is somewhat obscured by the intenti0nally lo-fi approach to his recording process) but I especially enjoyed the other released track, "In My Time". Opening with a soft strum of an acoustic guitar and a singing style reminiscent of Dylan and his more lucid moments, the song glides into the chorus rather than hitting you over the head with a chord change. As the song builds an electric accompaniment adds depth to the song as the author reminisces about lost time and getting older. It is apparent to me that Vile is one of those old soul types who looks beyond simple songs to find deeper meaning in it all. I am very interested in experiencing the whole album.

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About Me

THESE ARE THE RAMBLINGS OF A FORMER COLLEGE RADIO DJ WITH A NEED TO SHARE HIS CD COLLECTION WITH THE WORLD.Comments and suggestions are encouraged. All music is for sampling purposes. If your music is up and you want it taken down please let me know.